Pontiac Bonneville Complaints

1,973 consumer complaints on file.

#10028613July 19, 2003
FUEL SYSTEM, OTHER, STRUCTURE:BODY, POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION, EQUIPMENT:MECHANICAL
MY HUSBAND PURCHASED A USED 2001 PONTIAC BONNEVILLE FROM MCDONALD PONTIAC IN SAGINAW, MICHIGAN. WE HAVE HAD REPEATED PROBLEMS INVOLVING THE TRANSMISSION, FUEL PRESSURE SENSOR, AND NOW THE PAINT IS BUBBLING ON THE HOOD. WE BELIEVE OUR CAR SHOULD BE DECLARED A LEMON AND ANOTHER VEHICLE BE SUPPLIED.*AK
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10029667July 18, 2003
SEAT BELTS:FRONT:RETRACTOR
WHILE TRAVELING ON THE HIGHWAY AND WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING. ALL OF THE SEAT BELTS WILL NOT CLICK IN OR HOLD THROUGH THE RETRACTOR. *AK
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10024982July 18, 2003
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
THE PROBLEM WAS WITH THE PLASTIC INTAKE MANIFOLD.*AK THE INTAKE MANIFOLD LEAKED WATER INTO THE MOTOR AND CAUSED IT TO LOCK UP. THE PART WAS REPLACED. THE CONSUMER FELT THE VEHICLE SHOULD BE CLASSIFIED AS A LEMON. *SCC *JB
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10029506July 17, 2003
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:INTERIOR/UNDER DASH
CONSUMER STATES THAT DASHLIGHTS ARE NOT WORKING. CONSUMER IS NOT ABLE TO DRIVE AT NIGHT. CAUSE UNKNOWN. *AK
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10029465July 16, 2003
STEERING
CONSUMER STATES WHEN TURNING THE STEERING WHEEL THERE IS A CLUNKING NOISE THAT CONSUMER CAN FEEL IN THE REAR. TOOK TO PONTIAC, AND DEALER STATED TWO METAL GEARS WERE RUBBING TOGETHER. *AK
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10027305July 15, 2003
FUEL SYSTEM, OTHER:DELIVERY:HOSES, LINES/PIPING, AND FITTINGS
CONSUMER STATES THAT FUEL LINE IS DRIPPING GAS ON TOP OF THE ENGINE. DEALER NOTIFIED. VEHICLE IS RUNNING WITHOUT WARRANTY. *AK
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10027244July 14, 2003
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
CONSUMER CALLED COMPLAINING ABOUT HAVING GASKET PROBLEMS. GASKETS HAVE BEEN REPLACED TWICE, AND HE WAS CONCERNED. MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTATED AT THE TIME OF THIS CALL. *AK
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10025976July 13, 2003
VISIBILITY:POWER WINDOW DEVICES AND CONTROLS
REAR DOOR WINDOW REGULATOR CABLE BROKE. *AK
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10025977July 13, 2003
VISIBILITY:POWER WINDOW DEVICES AND CONTROLS
L.H REAR WINDOW REGULATOR CABLE BROKE. THIS IS THE 2ND CABLE THAT HAS BROKEN ON THIS VEHICLE. R.H. REAR CABLE BROKE IN AUG. OF 2002. BOTH CABLES BROKE WHILE DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE ALLOWING WINDOW TO FALL DOWN AND BECOMING INOPERATIVE. COST OF REPAIR $400.*AK
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10026010July 13, 2003
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:MANIFOLD/HEADER/MUFFLER/TAIL PIPE
WIFE WAS DRIVING CAR WHEN SHE NOTICED THE CHECK GAUGE LIGT CAME ON. ENGINE STARTED OVERHEADING. I WENT TO LOCATION AND ADDED COLLANT BUT SOMETHING DID NOT SEEM RIGHT. CALLED TOW AND HAD TOWED TO DEALER SHIP. WAS TOLD PROBLEM WAS BETWEEN THE EGR PASSAGE AT UPPER INTAKE MANIFOLD! OTHERWISE CALLED "MATERIAL DEGRADATION". DEALERSHIP SAID THIS WAS COMMON FOR THIS YEAR OF CAR.... COST US APPROX $700 TO HAVE FIXED. CALLED GMC CUSTOMER SATISIFACTION AND DID NOT GET ANY SATISIFACTION... SOLD CAR AND WILL NEVER BUY ANOTHER GMC UNTIL THEY CAN STAND BEHIND THEIR PROBLEMS. WOULD LIKE TO SEE THIS RECALLED... *AK
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10025956July 12, 2003
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
GM TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN 01-06-01-007A IDENTIFIES AN INHERENT DESIGN FLAW ON THE 3.8 L ENGINE (VIN K - RPO L36) AVAILABLE IN THE FOLLOWING VEHICLES:995-1997 BUICK RIVIERA995-1998 BUICK LESABRE, PARK AVENUE. *AK 1996-1998 BUICK REGAL 1998 CHEVROLET LUMINA, MONTE CARLO 1995-1996 OLDSMOBILE NINETY-EIGHT 1995-1998 OLDSMOBILE EIGHTY-EIGHT 1998 OLDSMOBILE INTRIGUE 1995-1998 PONTIAC BONNEVILLE 1997-1998 PONTIAC GRAND PRIX GM MINIMIZES THE IMPACT OF THE PROBLEM BY IDENTIFYING ONE OF THE SYMPTOMS AS OWNER COMPLAINING OF A SMALL COOLANT LEAK. THE FACT IS THAT IN MOST CASES THE LEAK IS NOT VISIBLE. THE COOLANT TYPICALLY LEAKS INTERNALLY BY THE EGR STOVE PIPE INTO THE ENGINE'S INTAKE MANIFOLD WHERE IT BUILDS UP. EVENTUALLY THE COOLANT LEVEL IN THE INTAKE MANIFOLD RISES TO THE POINT WHERE THE COOLANT WILL GET SUCKED INTO ONE OF THE CYLINDERS. IN LESS SEVERE CASES, WHEN IT HAPPENS AT IDLE OR LOW RPM, THIS CAUSES THE ENGINE TO SEIZE AND STALL. IN THE MOST SEVERE CASES, WHEN IT HAPPENS AT HIGH RPM, THE HAMMERING EFFECT OF THE ENGINE TRYING TO COMPRESS A LIQUID, CAUSES THE AFFECTED PISTON TO SHATTER (MY CASE). THIS IS A CATASTROPHIC ENGINE FAILURE CAUSED BY A DESIGN FLAW. WHEN THIS HAPPENS ON A HIGHWAY AT 75 MPH (MY CASE) THERE IS GREAT POTENTIAL FOR AN ACCIDENT AND INJURY TO PASSENGERS. I WAS LUCKY, BUT I STILL HAD TO REPLACE MY ENGINE WITH A REMANUFACTURED ONE AT MY EXPENSE. GM IS FULLY AWARE OF THE PROBLEM. GM REPAIR CENTERS ARE ATTRIBUTING THE FAILURE TO NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR AND ARE CHARGING OWNERS TO REPLACE THE FLAWED PARTS WITH THE NEW DESIGN. I SPOKE WITH A SERVICE MANAGER AT A LOCAL DEALERSHIP AND HE STATED THAT HE HAS SEEN A LOT OF VEHICLES COMING IN WITH THE SAME FAILURE, THE LESS SEVERE CASE BEING THE MOST COMMON. THEY COMMONLY JUST DRAIN THE AFFECTED CYLINDERS AND REPLACE THE FLAWED PARTS WITH THE NEW DESIGN. I ASKED HIM HOW DID HE KNOW IF THE AFFECTED PISTON HAD BEEN DAMAGED CAUSING A CATASTROPHIC FAILURE LATER ON. HE DID NOT HAVE AN ANSWER.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10027263July 11, 2003
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:MANIFOLD/HEADER/MUFFLER/TAIL PIPE
THE VEHICLES PLASTIC INTAKE MANIFOLD CRACKED WHICH CAUSED ANTIFREEZE TO LEAK INTO THE ENGINE. THE CONSUMER HAD TO PAY FOR A NEW ENGINE. *MR *CB *NLM
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10026939July 10, 2003
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL
WHILE DRIVING ABOUT 45 MPH AIR BAGS DEPLOYED. THE VEHICLE DID NOT HIT ANYTHING. *AK
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
1
Deaths:
0
#10025847July 10, 2003
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:EMISSION CONTROL:GAS RECIRCULATION VALVE (EGR VALVE), ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:MANIFOLD/HEADER/MUFFLER/TAIL PIPE, ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
ON JULY 1, 1998 PONTIAC BONNEVILLE WITH 3800 V6 OVERHEATED. TOOK IT INTO SHOP AND HAD COOLING SYSTEM CHECKED. NO PRESSURE LEAKS WERE DETECTED. WHEN I LEFT THE SHOP, ENGINE BEGAN MISSING AND CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. ENGINE SMOOTHED OUT, BUT TOOK BACK TO SHOP AND THEY PUT ON MACHINE. CYLINDERS 1 AND 6 HAD BEEN MISFIRING, BUT SEEMED TO BE RUNNING FINE. THE NEXT DAY ON WAY TO WORK, THE ENGINE BEGAN MISSING BADLY AGAIN AND TEMPERATURE GAUGE WENT UP TO ABOUT 240. AFTER WORK, ENGINE WOULD NOT TURN OVER AT ALL. AFTER HAVING CAR TOWED BACK TO SHOP, I LEARNED THAT THE UPPER PLENUM FOR THE INTAKE MANIFOLD,WHICH IS MADE OF PLASTIC, HAD BECOME WARPED WHERE THE EGR VALVE CONNECTS TO THE ENGINE BLOCK. THIS ALLOWED ANTIFREEZE TO FILL UP THE ENGINE CYLINDERS. THE SMALL REPAIR SHOP WHERE MY CAR WAS REPAIRED STATED THAT THEY HAD REPLACED 10 OF THIS PARTICULAR UPPER INTAKE PLENUM FOR THIS PARTICULAR ENGINE.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10025519July 7, 2003
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE
A PLASTIC COMPONENT IN THE ENGINE OF THE 1998 BONNEVILLE MELTED ALLOWING ANTIFREEZE TO ENTER THE ENGINE AND CAUSING ENGINE FAILURE. THERE WAS ONLY 70,000 MILES ON THE CAR. ALL REPLACEMENT ENGINES HAVE THE SAME PLASTIC COMPONENTS AND CAN HAVE THE SAME POTENTIAL FOR ENGINE FAILURE OR FIRE.*AK
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10026728July 3, 2003
STEERING
THE VEHICLES STEERING WAS DEFECTIVE WHICH CAUSED NOISE. THE CONSUMER HAD TO PAY FOR THE REPAIRS ALTHOUGH THE MANUFACTURER WAS AWARE OF THE DEFECT. *MR *CB *NLM
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10023971June 29, 2003
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMP
FUEL PUMP. *NLM
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10023922June 28, 2003
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
I OWN A 1998 PONTIAC BONNEVILLE. THE MANIFOLD COVERS ARE MADE OF PLASTIC AND EVENTUALLY CRACK CAUSING ANTIFREEZE TO ENTER THE ENGINE CAUSING VAPOR LOCK. THE ENGINE SHUTS OFF LEAVING THE DRIVER WITH NO POWER STEERING OR START UP CAPABILITIES BECAUSE THE STARTER CONE ON THIS INCIDENT WAS BLOWN OFF DUE TO INTENSE PRESSURE. MY 17 YEAR OLD DAUGHTER WAS DRIVING AT THE TIME AND I'M THANKFUL THAT SHE WAS IN TOWN TRAVELING ONLY AROUND 25 MPH. I DREAD THE THOUGHT WHAT MAY HAVE HAPPENED ON THE EXPRESSWAY. I HAVE HEARD OF AND READ OF SEVERAL CASES THAT ARE EXACTLY LIKE THIS ONE. GENERAL MOTORS IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM YET REFUSES TO RECALL THIS MANIFOLD COVER PROBLEM. MY VEHICLE IS WELL MAINTAINED AND HAS ONLY 83000 MILES ON IT. THERE IS NO WAY THIS SHOULD BE ALLOWED TO CONTINUE TO HAPPEN. IT IS VERY COSTLY TO MYSELF AS A CONSUMER. IT RAN ME NEARLY $900 DOLLARS TO FIX THIS PROBLEM. HOPEFULLY THERE ISN'T ANY LONG TERM DAMAGE (WHICH I UNDERSTAND THERE WILL BE) TO MY ENGINE FROM THIS PROBLEM. *NLM
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10025004June 26, 2003
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
CONSUMER STATES WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE AT ANY SPEED AND WITH NO WARNING VEHICLE GOT SHUT OFF, CAUSING CONSUMER TO PULL OFF THE ROAD. DEALER HAS INSPECTED VEHICLE SEVERAL TIMES, AND COULD NOT DUPLICATE OR CORRECT THE PROBLEM. *AK
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10019918June 26, 2003
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FUSES AND CIRCUIT BREAKERS
THE EXTERIOR LIGHTING DID NOT GO OFF AT VARIOUS TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO TOOK THE FUSES OUT TO GET THE LIGHTS OFF. *NLM *TS *JB
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

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